Quick Gifts to Knit or Crochet

Howdy! Long time, no post! Sorry about that. Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming ...

This is the time of the year when I mentally start to whittle down my Handmade Holiday List. You know, all those grand plans I had back in August seem maybe just a little too grand by November, so it's time to really figure out what I can and cannot accomplish between now and December 25th.

If you're feeling the holiday crunch like I am, I've put together a little list of gift knits (and crochet projects, too!) that seem like they wouldn't take too long to complete. They all use about a skein (or less than one skein) of worsted weight yarn. This way you get to make something special for a special recipient and keep your sanity: win-win!

Let's get started, shall we?

I love a good gender-neutral project; knit it up and keep it in your drawer so when you need a last-minute gift you've already got one! I think the Knotty but Nice hat pattern falls well into that category. Its all-over cable pattern adds interest whether you use a solid colored or variegated yarn and it would look equally snazzy on a man's head or a woman's. If you used a colorway like Walkers, this hat could easily go for either gender, too. After all, zombies are equal-opportunity killers. :)

"Walkers" on SW Merino Worsted

 

The Mustard Scarf by Jane Richmond is a pattern I've actually made myself. It looks particularly awesome in handspun, because the simple stitch pattern lets the yarn take center stage and the open, meshy style allows for differences in thickness without making the pattern seem off. This one's more for the women on your list than the men, but it's such a quick knit it'd be great for your kids' teachers! Here's a photo of mine:

I think this scarf would be gorgeous in my Goddess in the Storm or All Things Nice handspun; if that's not your thing, stay tuned as I've got several more skeins to add in this week!

I don't know about you, but when it starts to get chilly outside I grab a pair of fingerless gloves for use indoors and out! These Cozy Thermal Mitts do a fairly good job of straddling the gender gap, and at 110 yards for the small size you could actually get two of them out of a single skein of worsted weight yarn! Personally, a pair made in my new "Garden State" colorway would match almost anything I wear this winter (grey is definitely a staple color in my wardrobe), and it's a nicely neutral color palette to give as a gift to someone if you don't know all about their favorite colors.

If you have any babies on your gift list, these Ruth's Perfect Baby Booties would be an adorable and useful gift. Knit up a pair in superwash worsted weight yarn so Mom and Dad don't have to worry about hand washing on top of all the other Baby-induced chaos! :) Today I'm actually dyeing up several skeins of a brand new worsted weight (all-American, 100% merino, SUPER soft) yarn in my Nursery Rhymes colorways, too! That particular base won't be superwash but the hand washing is worth it to get yarn like this! Watch for news on that later in the week. ;)

This "Josh Lyman" colorway would be perfect for a baby boy!

 

 



Sometimes you may not know accurate sizing for a recipient on your list, so this Cabled iPad cozy or these Leg Warmers come to the rescue! Both of these gifts also come with the added bonus of being useful for any teens or tweens you might be making gifts for this year. Try a cozy in Mr. President for the guys on your list or Lady Bianca leg warmers for the girls!

If you're attending a holiday party, you might want to bring along a Hostess gift. How about a wine bottle cozy? If you use my Grapes of Wrath or Mr. D yarns you can incorporate the theme right into the yarn! Another hostess gift could be a pair of handmade slippers! I'm hoping to crochet up three pairs of this pattern this weekend; am I nuts?!? I hope not! If you don't own the DeFarge book, this pattern would be an adequate substitute!

Grapes of Wrath for the wine-lovers on your list!

 

Whatever you make this holiday season, the point is to put love in every stitch! I hope you enjoy your holiday crafting and have a wonderful Winter!!

Handmade for the Holidays

So, some of my husband's co-workers wanted to know what types of things I can make. Rather than try to send all that in an e-mail I thought I would make it into a blog post. For the rest of you readers who are also crafty, maybe it will help you get ideas for your own handmade holiday gifts as well!

Let's start with knitted/crocheted items.

For gifts, I love hats, cowls and fingerless gloves. They're fast, almost anyone can use them, and you can drastically alter the cost of the project by careful selection of the yarn you use. Here are some of the items I've made in the past:

These are the Lovisa Armwarmers, made in one color instead of doing the colorwork suggested in the pattern. I used handspun I received in a swap, and I wear these things ALLLLLLL the time!

For another simple armwarmer pattern that looks great in handspun, I love Toast and Toasty!

For a budget-friendly, masculine option, I made these mitts for my dad out of a wool/acrylic blend chunky yarn:

The pattern for these is Scrummy mitts. I also made a hat for him that matches:

Another super simple pattern, the Brangelina hat!

A few more hats I've made recently -

This one I made out of handspun 2ply Polwarth. It was a real dream to knit!

This pattern is the Lotus Hat and it's probably better suited for solid colored yarns but I still like how the texture shows through the colors I used.

I also crocheted this lacy beret for a swap partner using my own hand dyed sock yarn:

The pattern for that one is The Columbia Beret and I like how it's lightweight and feminine, which works well down here in the South where we don't always need a super warm, bulky hat.

How about those cowls? I love cowls because you can make them long and loopy or short and close-fitting. Either way they look great and they're a fabulous addition to any winter wardrobe. Here are a few of my favorites:

I made this one for my sister last Christmas from some silvery handspun. I love how you can loop it up to three times and it's lacy but also warm:

The pattern is my own design - the Infinitely Simple Lace Infinity Scarf pattern.

Here is one I knit up using some handspun that I got in a swap. I just did a garter stitch border and stockinette for the middle section, so there's no real pattern. For extra warmth you can wrap it up around your head or loop it twice around your neck and head area.

I can also make baby items! Baby items are great for any time of the year; they're always being born, after all!

Here are a few baby items I have knit - I especially love hats and blankets because every baby needs plenty of those.

This one is the Big Wool, Little Hat that I knit for my son a little over a year ago. I love the pointy top and the braided tassels!

I made one of these Beth's Little Star Afghan blankets for each of my children -

I also made one for a friend's baby using the colors of her family's favorite football team. That one was a hit!

In addition to hand-knits, I also like to sew gifts for people. I made this blanket for my sister to give to her friend (the baby's last name is Martini, so you don't have to be too disturbed by the fabric choice, ha!):

I also love to sew toys. I made this pink dinosaur (with a bad boy's heart, LOL!) for my son, whose favorite color is pink!

And I made these patchwork pillows to match the futon in my kids' play room:

There's really no limit to handmade gifts if you just use a little creative thought and put in the time. I'm happy to take custom order requests for any handmade (knit, crochet, sew, quilt) gifts for your loved ones this holiday season or any time! Just leave me a comment on this post and I'll get back to you!